A variety of polymers have been employed to make surgical implants and tissue sealants, or to perform surgical repairs and drug delivery. In order to satisfy patient safety considerations and meet regulatory requirements, medical products containing such polymers normally are sterilized at the manufacturing site. A variety of sterilization techniques have been employed, including chemical treatments (e.g., ethylene oxide gas or hydrogen peroxide), heat (e.g., steam) and ionizing radiation (e.g., gamma radiation, ultraviolet light, X-ray or E-Beam processing).
Medical products containing polysaccharides or other polymers may be provided to a medical professional in dry hydratable form (e.g., as a powder or sponge), and hydrated (e.g., rehydrated) to form a moist shapeable product (e.g., a cohesive gel or compressible sponge) for subsequent placement in a patient.